New ramps signal final pass-through project

Howard Roden

Published 6:00 pm, Friday, February 19, 2010

Construction on Montgomery County’s final pass-through road project is scheduled to start this week.

Although the three direct connectors designed to improve traffic flow at the intersection of Texas 242 and Interstate 45 have yet to officially exit the drafting table, work is moving forward on new access ramps that will be built along I-45 between Texas 242 and Research Forest.

The ramps’ placement is the reverse of their current locations, said Jennie Taraborelli, of Pate Transportation Partners, which manages the Montgomery County Transportation Program. For example, the new I-45 southbound on-ramp will be placed almost at Research Forest. The existing on-ramp is just south of St. Luke’s Community Hospital - a distance of approximately 3,000 feet.

“That will improve traffic flow and help in the connectivity of the proposed Texas 242/I-45 direct connectors,” she said.

The northbound ramps will facilitate traffic and access to the westbound Texas 242 direct connector, as well as enhance access to the Conroe Independent School District’s Woodforest Stadium.

Because of the new ramps’ location, that construction can occur before the existing ramps are removed, Taraborelli said.

The $3.2 million project was awarded to Houston-based South Coast Construction Inc. The contract calls for 170 working days, Monday through Friday, over approximately six months.

“The public should see a lot of activity this week,” she said.

The new access ramps also call for the creation of “auxiliary” lanes that provide an additional 2,000 to 2,500 feet in “weaving” room, Taraborelli said.

“It will give drivers more distance and an extra lane to work their way in and out of traffic,” she said.

During a meeting Monday morning, county commissioners are scheduled to reimburse Entergy Texas more than $2.1 million for the relocation of transmission and distribution lines in the vicinity of Texas 242 and I-45. The relocation created room for the installation of the direct connectors at that intersection.

Unlike the other pass-through projects in the county, the direct connectors - which are to be built for an estimated $25 million - will be paid through actual toll fees. The other pass-through projects were funded through bonds approved by county voters in 2005 and will be repaid by the Texas Department of Transportation at 7 cents per mile for each vehicle that travels the completed roads.

Taraborelli expects work to begin on the direct connectors before the end of this year, even though a date for a public hearing on environmental documents has not been scheduled by the Federal Highway Administration.